Thieves are thought to have been inspired by a scene from the 3 Mobile advert, in which a Shetland pony dances in the style of Michael Jackson

by Samantha Williams

The hit new 3 Mobile TV ad with a moonwalking Shetland pony has been blamed for the theft of two of the pint-size horses from a sanctuary near Ashford.

The comedy commercial - also a YouTube sensation - features a Shetland pony dancing Michael Jackson-style to Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere", but stopping when a farmer walks by.

Angry Tom Tyrell said teenagers took his ponies Ellie, eight, and Patch, 14, from his Tomar Owl Sanctuary, in Cheesemans Green Lane, Mersham, and tried to get them to moonwalk.

A neighbour phoned 73-year-old Mr Tyrell (pictured right) to say she had seen a gang with the horses in a nearby village.

Another caller then revealed where the two ponies were being kept and today they have been returned to Mr Tyrell and wife Margaret.

Mr Tyrell said: "I reckon this has something to do with the dancing pony advert on TV at the moment.

"Patch looks exactly like the pony in the advert and them going missing could have something to do with that.

"People see something on TV or in the news and they want feel like they want one."

Mrs Tyrell, 66, said: "We're just so happy to have them back. The grandchildren love riding them.

"We think they were taken by teenagers who wanted to make them moonwalk and dance.

"It's mad because we've never seen them dance. They don't even know who Michael Jackson is.

"The main thing is they are OK. They're just back to being ponies in a field - and we're getting them some new padlocks."

Shetland pony Ellie that disappeared from Tom Tyrell's field in Mersham

Mr and Mrs Tyrell, who have run their sanctuary for 23 years, noticed the ponies had disappeared on Monday morning.

The couple rescued Patch, who is dark brown and white, 10 years ago when her owner no longer wanted her after she suffered a leg injury.

They adopted Ellie, who is brown, eight years ago.